The Push-Up Plus

Many of us have tried at times to improve our posture over the course of a day, but wouldn’t it be nice if you could do this without having to think about it all the time? Well, this push-up exercise will help!

This movement is called the Push-Up Plus. Begin in a normal, neutral push-up position — or alternately, on your knees or leaning with your hands on a counter-top for an easier exercise. Be sure to keep a straight line running from your toes to the top of your head, with your head and neck in a comfortable position. To start the exercise, round out your back by trying to push your spine, the part right between your shoulder blades, toward the ceiling. Hold for 2 seconds, then relax back down (stop rounding out your back) and instead bring your shoulder blades together. Repeat this for 10-15 repetitions at a time. You can see a great example of this exercise here!

If you need to make this easier, do the exercise on your hands and knees rather than hands and feet. If you’d like some increased difficulty, add a normal push-up in between each repetition!

This exercise involves the serratus anterior, lower trapezius, and rotator cuff muscles. This movement can be helpful for improving improper posture, abnormal shoulder blade movements, general shoulder weakness, and shoulder impingement.